Hottest June on record in much of Southwest, and no end in sight

By Melissa Gray, CNN

Updated 10:22 PM ET, Mon July 1, 2013

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Photos:Photos: Heat wave hits the West

Heat wave hits the West – Kevin Martin of Corona, California, poses for a snapshot by an unofficial thermometer at the Furnace Creek Visitor Center in Death Valley National Park on Sunday, June 30. A record-setting and deadly heat wave has spread across the American West.

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Photos:Photos: Heat wave hits the West

Heat wave hits the West – People walk through the "Devil's Golf Course" area of Death Valley, where temperatures were 116 degrees.

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Heat wave hits the West – Mike Bouse shades himself with an umbrella as he floats in the water at Lake Mead near Boulder City, Nevada, on Saturday, June 29.

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Heat wave hits the West – Michael Jackson impersonator Juan Carlos Gomez gulps down some water on Friday, June 28, during a break from posing for photos with tourists along the Las Vegas strip.

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Heat wave hits the West – Steve Howard does a 30-mile training run in Death Valley National Park in California on June 28.

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Heat wave hits the West – Maria Wieser of Italy takes a drink of water while sightseeing in Death Valley National Park in California on June 28.

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Heat wave hits the West – Easton Martin, 10, stops to cool off with a misting fan in Las Vegas with his family on June 28.

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Heat wave hits the West – David Reyes, left, and Shavaar Hanes take a break from posing for photos with tourists as the Mario Brothers along the Las Vegas Strip on June 28.

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Heat wave hits the West – An elephant at Utah's Hogle Zoo in Salt Lake City get some relief from the heat on June 28.

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Heat wave hits the West – Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles appears distorted in the heat wave on June 28.

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Heat wave hits the West – Michael Hawks, a warranty supervisor for an air conditioning company, wipes his brow while inspecting a unit in Phoenix on June 28.

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Heat wave hits the West – Alana Griego, 5, left, and Celeste Hidalgo, 7, cool off in the Pacific Ocean in Santa Monica, California, on June 28.

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Heat wave hits the West – R.J. Hernandez, 8, of El Campo, Texas, is buried in sand as he tries to stay cool in Santa Monica on June 28.

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Heat wave hits the West – Elvis impersonator Cristian Morales wipes sweat from his brow while posing for photos with tourists on the Las Vegas Strip on Thursday, June 27.

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Heat wave hits the West – Bryson Hubbard, 7, walks down a path leading to a sea cliff as his mother Vanessa Singer waits for him on a hot day in Santa Cruz, California, on June 27.

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Heat wave hits the West – A couple bikes along the oceanfront in Santa Cruz on June 27.

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Heat wave hits the West – Ashawn Rabb, 5, runs through a fountain at the Red Ridge Park in Las Vegas on June 27.

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Heat wave hits the West – Beach-goers enjoy the surf at Natural Bridges in Santa Cruz on June 27.

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Heat wave hits the West – A surfer walks to the water at Natural Bridges in Santa Cruz on June 27.

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Heat wave hits the West – Betty Lu Guapo, 4, cools off at the Los Angeles Fountain on June 27.

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Heat wave hits the West – A Salt Lake City fireman pours water over the head of fireman Cary Turner after battling a house fire on Wednesday, June 26. Temperatures in Utah are approaching record highs.

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Story highlights

June is the hottest month on record for Las Vegas and Death Valley

Five people are treated for heat-related illnesses at Lake Mead

High temperatures are making things worse for firefighters

Excessive heat warnings will last through Independence Day in some areas

The Southwest heat wave made June the hottest month on record for Las Vegas, Death Valley, and Needles, California, the National Weather Service said Monday, which added that the high temperatures are not over yet.

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Forecasters extended the excessive heat warning in place for much of California, Nevada, and parts of Arizona through 11 p.m. on Independence Day, warning of "dangerously hot temperatures."

Monday saw new record temperatures across the region. Death Valley hit 127 degrees, breaking the old record for the day by two degrees, said Chris Stachelski, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Las Vegas.

Barstow, California, set a new daily record of 114, as did Bishop, California, where it reached 109.

The hottest temperatures Monday were near Las Vegas and surrounding Clark County, Stachelski said. Moapa, Nevada, just northeast of Vegas, reached a high of 120.

Five people were treated for heat-related illnesses over the weekend at Lake Mead, just east of Las Vegas, said Christie Vanover, a spokeswoman for the National Park Service.

A man was found dead after falling down a ridge at the park, she said, after a visitor reported seeing him wandering in the desert. It's unclear whether the heat played a role in his death.

Finding ways to cool off

The heat is causing a surge in business at Big Surf Waterpark in Tempe, Arizona, which saw big crowds over the weekend, said Greg Fresquez at the park's marketing office. Together with the Independence Day holiday in the middle of the week, the heat is expected to bring in even more visitors in the coming days, he said.

Tony Orlowski, manager at Randy's Restaurant and Ice Cream in Scottsdale, Arizona, said customers all express the same complaint when they come in the door: "It's hot out there."

"We tell them, 'It's cool in here. Come in and cool off,'" he said.

Orlowski normally recommends a milkshake, a banana split or a couple of scoops of ice cream to take some of the sting out of the summer sun.

Before they head out into the furnace, he advises, "Don't catch a chill."

It's not going away

Civic and emergency officials throughout the Southwest say if there was ever a time to worry, this would be it.

The reason isn't just the oppressive heat that is plaguing the region: It's the fact it is expected to hang around, and possibly even get worse, over the next few days.

"A very strong ridge of high pressure is centered over much of the western U.S.," CNN senior meteorologist Dave Hennen said. "That high pressure causes sinking air, which becomes compressed and warms up and also dries out. This particular high pressure system remains stuck in the West, which has allowed the heat to build last week and through the weekend."

Making emergencies worse

More than 100 firefighters were called to a large fire Monday at a commercial building in Sun Valley, north of Los Angeles -- a blaze made worse by the heat, said Brian Humphrey of the Los Angeles City Fire Department.

He told CNN affiliate KCAL/KCBS that with a high of 95 in Sun Valley, "One of the problems we have is not only the heat from the fire, but also the ambient temperature."

The high temperatures northwest of Phoenix are complicating efforts to fight the 8,400-acre Yarnell Hill wildfire. That's where 19 members of an elite firefighting squad died Sunday when a wind shift and other factors caused the fire to become erratic, said Mike Reichling, Arizona State Forestry Division spokesman.

Historically hot

The heat wave comes just a couple weeks before the 100th anniversary of what the National Weather Service calls the "highest reliably recorded air temperature on Earth" -- 134 degrees on July 10, 1913, in Death Valley's Greenland Ranch.

The valley is consistently deemed the hottest location in the world because of its depth and shape. It has one of the world's lowest elevations and also serves as one of the driest locations in North America. Its 11,000-foot surrounding mountain range traps and radiates heat down into it.

"The No. 1 thing is to absolutely know your limitations and to stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water," Chris Stachelski, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Las Vegas, advised those trying to cope with the high temperatures.

He recommended limiting time outdoors. For those who have to do any strenuous activity outside, he advises doing it in the early morning, evening or simply putting it off until the end of the week when the temperatures are lower.

Heat stroke symptoms include hallucinations, chills, confusion and dizziness, along with slurred speech.

To protect against heat stress, the CDC advises spending time in air-conditioned places, staying informed of heat warnings and drinking lots of fluids.

Don't forget the pets

The same advice goes for dogs, who can quickly develop heat stroke.

"Most of the time people didn't realize, it certainly was not intentional, and they bring them in very quickly when they realize that there is a problem," Brandi Garcia, a critical care specialist at Emergency Animal Clinic in Gilbert, Arizona, told CNN affiliate KNXV.

Just like with their human friends, dogs do best with plenty of water and limited exposure to the high temperatures. Also, asphalt can burn your pet's paws.